Men's Ice Hockey

Aaron Volpatti ’10 Makes NHL Debut

Dec 30, 2010

PROVIDENCE, RI – Aaron Volpati '10, a 2009-10 captain of the men's hockey team, made his NHL debut earlier this month, suiting up for the Vancouver Canucks on December 18 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a 4-1 Vancouver victory. Volpatti has played in five games since the 18th, appearing on the fourth line with fellow Ivy League alum, Tanner Glass (Dartmouth '07), and Alexandre Bolduc.

Volpatti scored his first career NHL goal in the Canucks' next game, a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues, giving Vancouver a 1-0 lead with the tally. In a 6-2 Vancouver win over Philadelphia on December 28th, Volpatti was involved in his first NHL fight, against Flyers' Sean O'Donnell. Vancouver, 5-1-0 in the six games since Volpatti joined the team, faces the Dallas Stars on Friday (8:00 p.m. EST).

Volpatti began the season with the AHL affiliate of the Canucks, the Manitoba Moose, where he had six assists and 44 penalty minutes in 26 games. In eight games last season with the Moose, Volpatti had two points (1g, 1a) and 17 penalty minutes.

Volpatti signed a multi-year deal with the Canucks in March 2010 after finishing his senior season with 32 points (17g. 15a) in 37 games. A Third Team All-ECAC Hockey and Second Team All-Ivy honoree, Volpatti led the Bears with 17 goals, six power play goals, and three game-winning goals, and was second on the team with two short-handed goals, while posting a team-high "+5" +/- rating.

Volpatti is the first Brown alum who is not a goalie to appear in an NHL game since Ryan Mulhern '96 (now head coach at St. George's as well as Associate Director of Admission & Financial Aid) played in three games for the Washington Capitals during the 1997-98 season.

Brian Eklund '02 and Yann Danis '04 (both goalies) have more recently played in the NHL, with Eklund playing for the 2005-06 Tampa Bay Lightning and Danis playing most recently for the Devils (last season).